Caring for your lawn yourself, and preparing it for the winter chill will save you money and also ensure less work for you in the spring. Hiring a landscaper can cost more money than you have to spare, so consider do-it-yourself lawn care for the winter.
Step Two
Give your lawn a good cleaning before the first snow of winter. Removing your children's toys, piles of sticks, leaves or debris will ensure that portions of your lawn do not suffocate and die under the weight of these objects and a heavy snow cover.
Step Three
Pull out any weeds that you notice in your lawn before the first frost of winter. Weeds will compete with your grass for water. Removing the weeds with gloved hands will prevent your lawn from having to struggle for water.
Step Four
Fertilize your lawn in the early spring and early fall. Fertilizing encourages new root growth, which is essential for the lawns survival throughout the cold winter. Choose a spring and summer fertilizer for springtime fertilizing and a winter fertilizer for the fall. Check the label instructions on the fertilizer for allocation amounts.
Step Five
Aerate your lawn before winter. Rent an aerator from an equipment rental shop, which will help to create air pockets in your lawn's soil. The air pockets will give new grass roots room to grow in the spring. Run the aerator at least 30 days before the first winter freeze.